Elevator safety system.



W. T. DUNFORD.

ELEVATOR SAFETY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 25. 1915.

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ELEVATOR SAFETY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1915- Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

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w. T. DUNFORD.

ELEVATOR SAFETY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1915-.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

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WILLIAM T. nmvronn, or nnw YORK, 1v. 2.,

A S SIGrNOR TO SHURLOC ELEVATOR SAFETY COMPANY, INC., OF NEV] YORK, N. L, A CORPORATION OF NEW YGRK.

ELEVATOR SAFETY SYSTEM.

Application filed March 25, 1915.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM T. Dnnronn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Elevator Safety Systems, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates tov elevator safety systems, and is more particularly an improvement on the double lock mechanism disclosed in my. prior application, Serial No. 856,123, filed August 10, 1914. The object of the present invention is to provide a simpler and better-operating mechanism and to reduce wear and friction and secure an easier and more silent action. This is accomplished by substituting a single continuous arm or member for the two pivoted elements or triggers that were acted upon by the door projection in the other case to release the detent, the function of the detent being to hold the car-shoe in projected position while the landing door is unlocked. More broadly stated, the present invention includes means for holding the detent out of action, or retracted, substantially throughout the predetermined limited range of door movement which is permitted by the door look while yet preventing full opening movement of the door. The improved construction also embodies a specifically different form of detent from that illustrated in the other case, and a simpler combination of parts in respect thereto. Another object is to provide means whereby, at the ground floor, the landing door lock may be released from the outside of the shaft if necessary.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional interior perspective view of the car, looking toward the landing door, which is shown partly open;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the landing mechanism, the cover of its casing being re moved, and the door being shown closed;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the door open;

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section on the line 4-1 of Fig. 2, showing the normal condition, that is to say with the door locked;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2 illustrating the same condition;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Serial No. 16,932.

of Fig. 2, the conditions being the same as in Figs. 4 and '5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, similar to Fig. 6, but looking in the reverse direction and showing the condition with the door unlocked;

Fig. 8 is a similar view, illustrating a condition wherein an extremity of the car-shoe has encountered the contact portion of the door lock but without moving the latter sufficiently to release the door; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal section corresponding to Fig. 4: but showing the unlocked condition of the door'lock and the car-shoe behind the detent.

Each landing door, of which one is shown and designated 2, is provided with a lock or catch, by which the door is automatically engaged at or before the conclusion of its closing movement, so that it cannot be opened from the outside; By looking is not meant necessarily that the door is held immovable, but that it is held against opening movement. Thus, as will presentlybe described, the door at the first of its locking positions can be moved farther in the closing direction but not beyond this position in theopening direction. j

The locking mechanism preferably com- I prises a horizontally extending bar or latch 3 pivoted at f on a vertical axis in a casing or recess 5 in the face of the shaft below the landing floor. A suitable outwardly projecting contact member 6 is connected to the latch 3 in an appropriate manner, being preferably mounted on a short arm 7 rigidly united with the latch and extending in the same direction from the pivot. The latch is urged outward by a spring 42 and is providedwith two locking lugs 8 and 9 spaced lengthwise thereon for engagement with a suitable part on the door, such asan arm 10 projecting downward from the forward portion of the door and suitably formed to clear the edge of the landing and to operate :in the gap between the same and the car.

The relation of the lower extremity of the door projection 10 and the two locking lugs 8 and 9 is such that the door may be locked against opening movement when closed and also at a predetermined distance in advance of closing. It will be understood that when the first locking lug 8 is reached in the closing movement. the distance remaining between the forward edge of the door and the side of the door opening should be insufiicient to permit a person to squeeze through.

The carill is provided with a controller 12 a i g a hand lever 13, which swings about a horizontal axis 14. The controller is located at the side of the car toward which the landing door slides in opening. A car contact in the form of a vertically elongated shoe 15 is located toward the side ofthe car remote from the controller, in position to be brought opposite the landing contact 6, with which it cooperates. In the particular construction shown the car contact is fixed to the forward end. of a slide bar 16 mounted in suitable bearings 17 beneath the car, at right angles to the landing. A pedal 18 located in the floor of the car at a point conveniently adjacent the controller enables the operator to project the car contact 15 in order to unlock the'door, and at the same time actuates a train of parts wholly on the car to lock the controller lever 13 in midposition; this being the position which it occupies when the car is at rest. The specific arrangement of parts may naturally be va- 7 ried; but in the preferred construction a is provided with a substantially horizontal arm 22 which connects with the lower end of a vertical locking rod 23 extending upward'within the car behind the controller. It will thus be perceived that a branched or double train of connections wholly on the car extends from the pedal, on the one hand,

to the car contact, and on the other hand to the controller-locking device. Preferably, as shown, the'transverse rock-shaft member 19 is common to both trains. The rod 23 slides in a guide 24 and is adapted to enter at its upper end into a central notch in an arcuate flange 25 on the tail of the controller when the latter is in mid-position. The car mechanism, including the shoe, may be restored to normal position either by the force of gravity or a spring, but preferably by a weighted arm 54 on the rock-shaft.

As in my other application, the carmay also be prevented from starting, when the landing door is unlocked, by means of a cir- 'cuit-breaker operated by the rock-shaft to open a circuit. The same movement may also serve to illuminate the floor light 31. These features are fully illustrated in the said application and it has not been thought necessary to repeat the showing here.

The car-shoe is adapted to be held in its projected or actuated position by a detent 32, which in the present instance is a slide bolt operating in a keeper 33, its extremity being disposed so that it may pass behind or at the car side of the shoe when the latter is in its outward position. The detent is controlled by a bell-crank lever 32*, fulcrumed at 35 in the casing 5, and having a depending arm 36 pivoted to the slide bolt. The long, laterally-extcnding arm 37 of the bell-crank is arranged so that the door projection 10 may ride upon it and thereby hold the detent out of action, or retracted. It will be observed that the farther out the projection 10 is on the arm 37 the less is the frictional retarding effect of this arm, because of the changing leverage. Hence an easy action is secured. \Vhen the door projection rides off this arm a spring 38 pressing upon the detent projects the lat ter into engagement behind the car-shoe. The arm 37 is of such extent and so positioned in relation to the other parts that the detent is held retracted as long as the door is within the limited distance from closed position determined by the position of the first locking lug 8. In the mechanism as illustrated, it will be observed that the arm is disposed slightly below the level of the double lug lock and is provided with a straight, normally horizontal upper edge 39, extending from a point somewhat inside of the first lug 8 to and beyond the second lug. At its free extremity the arm extends sufiiciently far to render it impossible for the door projection to ride off the arm in closing in event of the door buffers becoming worn. At the opposite or fulcrum end the arm is preferably provided with a cut-away portion 40, joining the straight top edge by an incline or curve, so as to facilitate the riding of the door projection onto the arm in the closing movement. It is to be understood that the upper portion of the arm is to be so formed and proportioned and hear such relation to the first locking lug 8 and the width of the door projection at the bottom that the detent can be released only when the door projection is within the first I locking lug 8, that is to say, there is no possibility of the detent being released, permitting starting of the car, when the door is not locked. In other words, referring to Fig. 3 for example, and considering the door in the act of closing, the right-hand edge of the door projection 10 will pass to the left of the locking shoulder of the first locking lug 8 before the arm 37 will be depressed sufliciently to withdraw the detent 32 from the car shoe 15. Immediately or shortly after the door passes this first locking position the detent is retracted sufficiently to release the shoe. In the door-closing movement, it will be observed that the operator is free to start at any moment after the projection 10 has passed the first locking lag and up to the full closing of the door. This ability to do so is not afl'ected, for example, by the fact that when the door passed the first locking position he may have had his foot on the pedal, for, the detent being held retracted as long as the door projection rides upon the arm, there is no possibility of the detent reengaging with the car-shoe as the door continues in its closing movement. The outer face of the holding extremity of the detent bolt 32 is preferably beveled, so that the car-shoe may latch past it without injury if for any reason the detent should be in holding position when the shoe is projected from the car. Preferably the extremities of the shoe 15 are beveled or rounded on the outer side (see Fig. 6), and the contact portion 6 of the arm 7 is beveled or rounded above and below its center, so that the end of the shoe may ride onto the said contact portion in event of the shoe being projected while slightly above or below the portion 6, and before the car has come to rest. In order to insure safety the active extremity of the detent 32 may slightly overlap the contact portion 6 at top and bottom, or other suitable provision may be made to guard against the possibility of an extremity of the shoe 15 engaging the said portion so as to unlock the door under such conditions as not to be engaged-and held by the detent. A further safeguard in this direction is or may be afforded by the beveled or rigid formation of the contact portion 6. Thus, the proportions and extents of movement are preferably such that if the portion 6 is engaged only by an extremity of the car shoe, the said extremity striking part way down one of the slopes of the said portion, then the latch 3 will not be pushed back far enough to release the door projection 10 (see Fig. 8). Preferably stop means are provided on the casing for limiting the forward movement of the shoe away from the car. In the particular construction shown the rear or bottom edges of recesses 50 in the top and bottom walls of the casing 5 constitute such stops. These edges are beveled on their upper and lower sides, respectively, as indicated at 51, so that the car shoe can ride onto them without jamming or breaking in event of the shoe being projected too soon. The extent of movement permitted the shoe bythese stops is such that if the extremity of the shoe strikes part way down either slope of the portion 6 the door is not released from the lock, as already explained. The beveling of the portion 6, therefore, prevents the car-shoe releasing the lock unless the shoe strikes the said portion approximately in the middle or at its highest point. Under this condition it is certain to be engaged by the detent 32, even though the working extremity of the latter might be narrower than the portion 6. In this connection it may be noted that though the locking lug 8 is farther out on the lock than the lug 9, it requires substantially the same extent of movement at the tween them to permit the car-shoe to be projected into contact with the portion 6 of the door lock.

It is desirable to make the mechanism at the landing occupy as shallow a recess or casing as possible. Hence the bell-crank 34 is placed only slightly forward of the plane of the lock 3; and to prevent the upward movement of the arm 37 being blocked by the locking lug 9, the arm is recessed on its inner face as shown at 55, and in addition the lower portion of the lug 9 is preferably beveled, as shown at 56.

The casing 5 carrying the landing mechanism is rendered laterally adjustable by slotted bolt holes 57 in lugs 58, by which the casing is attached to the face of the shaft. This enables the double lock 3 to be positioned accurately with respect to the door projection 10, and the contact portion 6 and detent 32 to be shifted slightly right or left relatively to the car-shoe.

The throw of the detent and bell-crank under the action of the spring 38 is limited by a stop 41, bearing a buffer 43 to be contacted by the depending arm 36.

Means are provided whereby at the ground floor the door lock may be released from outside of the shaft by a. proper person, in order that the shaft may be entered when necessary. Such means may be widely varied, but in the particular construction illustrated a member 44, in the form of a vertically movable slide, is disposed adjacent the lock, being suitably guided in the casing and provided with an inclined or cam portion 45 adapted on upward movement of the slide to press the lock out of holding relation to the door projection 10. A cord or flexible connection 46 attached to the lock-releasing device passes upward over a pulley 47 near the top of the door and terminates in a ring 48, which may be reached by a person at the landing.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a lock for the landing door constructed to prevent opening thereof when the door is within a predetermined distance of closing,

car mechanism comprising a movable shoe taneously actuating said shoe to unlock the door, a detent at the landing for holding said car mechanism while the landmg door is unlocked, and door-controlled means for keeping the detent out of engagement with the car mechanism substantially throughout the range of door movement within the said predetermined distance.

2. In an elevator safetysystem, a landing door, @1001; for the landing door construct- V out the. movement of the door within said predetermined distance so as to hold said detent; out of engagement with the shoe.

3. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a projection thereon, a lock having two locking portions cooperating with said projection to lock the door against opening at two positions, namely closed position and a position a predetermined distance therefrom, car mechanism comprising a movable shoe on the car for releasing said door lock, suitable means on the car for preventing starting, and an operators device -for operating the said means and simultaneously actuating'said shoe to unlock the door, an automatic detent for holding said car mechanism while the landing door is unlocked, and a continuous arm connected with the detent and arranged for said projection to ride upon substantially throughout the movement of the door within said predetermined distance so as to hold said detent out of en- 7 gagement with the car mechanism.

4:. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a lock for the landing door constructed to prevent opening thereof when the door is within a predetermined distance of closing, a movable shoe on the car for releasing said door lock, suitable means on the car for preventing starting of the same, an operators device for operating the said means and simultaneously actuating said shoe to unlock the door, an automatic detent for holding said shoe in the actuated position while the landing door is unlocked, a projection on the door, and a bell-crank lever having one arm connected with said detent and a long lateral arm presenting a continuous riding surface engaged by the said door projection substantially throughout the movement of the door within said predetermined distance to hold said detent out of engagement withthe shoe;

5. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a lock for the landing door constructed to prevent opening thereof when the door is within a predetermined distance of closing, a movable shoe on the car for releasing said door lock, suitable means on the car for preventing starting of the same, an operators device for operating the said means and simultaneously actuating said shoe to unlock the door, a slidable detent belt at the landing to hold said. shoe, :1 spring for projecting said detent bolt, a bellcrank lever, and a link connecting one arm of the bell-crank with said bolt, the other arm extended laterally sufficiently to be engaged by the door projection substantially throughout the movement of the door within said predetermined distance so as to hold said bolt retracted.

6. In an elevator safety system, a landing door having a projection, a look at the landing having two horizontally spaced locking lugs to cooperate with said projection, a shoe on the car adapted to be projected so as to press said look toward the wall of the shaft thereby freeing the door projection, an operators device on the car for' projecting said shoe, means also operated by said device to prevent starting of the car, a detent at, the landing to hold said shoe projected, an approximately horizon tally extending member connected with said detent and constructed and arranged to be engaged by the door projection substantially throughout its movement from one locking lug to the other so as to hold the detent out of action during such periods.

7. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a projection thereon, a lock for the door, a shoe adapted to be projected outward from the car to release said lock, and a pedal and mechanism on the car operated by the pedal for projecting said shoe and for rendering starting of the car impossible, in combination with an automatic springpressed slidable detent bolt adapted to be projected sidewise behind said shoe, and a single continuous arm extending horizontally beneath said projection on the door and controlled by themovement'thereof and in turn controlling said detent.

8. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a lock for said door, a shoe adapted to be projected outward from the car to release said lock, and means on the car for projecting said shoe and rendering starting of the car impossible, in combination with an automatic substantially rectilinearly slidable detent bolt adapted to be projected sidewise behind said shoe, and a bell crank having one arm connected with said bolt and the other positioned for engagement by a part on the door.

9. In an elevator safety system, alanding door, a lock forthe same, a shoe on the car adapted to be projected by the operator to release said lock, means connected with said shoe for preventing starting of the car, a detent controlled by the door for holding said shoe and connected means in actuated condition while the door is unlocked, and a device located at the landing for also releas ing said lock.

10. In an elevator safety system, a landing door, a lock for the same, a shoe on the car adapted to be projected by the operator to release said lock, means connected with said shoe for preventing starting of the car, a detent controlled by the door for holding said shoe and connected means in actuated condition While the door is unlocked, a lockreleasing slide at the landing adjacent the lock, said slide having a cam portion, and a flexible operating connection extending from said slide, and a guide near the top of the door for said connection.

11. In an elevator safety system, a landing door having a projection, a look at the landing to cooperate with said projection, a contact portion connected with said lock and having a beveled face, mechanism on the car for preventing starting of the same including a shoe adapted to be projected against said contact portion, a stop at the landing limiting the movement of said shoe, an automatic detent at the landing disposed at the level of said contact for holding said shoe in projected position, and means con trolled by said door projection for releasing said detent.

12. In an elevator safety system, a landing door having a projection, a lock casing on the face of the elevator shaft having recesses in its upper and lower walls, the rear edges of said recesses constituting steps, a locking member in the casing having double locking portions for engagementwith said door projection, a contact portion on the locking member having a beveled face, mechanism on the car preventing starting of the same including a shoe adapted to be projected against said contact portion and limited in respect to such movement by said stops, and a detent controlled by the door and having a working portion at the level of said contact portion to hold said shoe in projected position.

13. In an elevator safety system, a landing door having a projection, a lock casing 011 the face of the elevator shaft having recesses in its upper and lower walls, the rear edges of said recesses constituting stops, said edges being sloped at top and bottom, respectively, a locking member in the casing having double locking portions for engagement with said door projection, a contact portion on the locking member having a beveled face, mechanism on the car preventing starting of the same including a shoe adapted to be projected against said contact portion and limited in respect to such movement by said stops, and a detent controlled by the door and having a working portion at the level of said contact portion to hold said shoe in projected position.

1%. In an elevator safety system, the combination with a door having a pro ection, a lock casing at the landing having means of lateral adjustment, a swinging lock in said casing having horizontally spaced lugs for cooperation with said door projection, a con tact portion connected with said lock, an automatic detent in the casing controlled by the landing door, a car shoe adapted to be projected against said contact portion to be held by said detent, and mechanism on the car connected with the shoe for preventing starting of the car as long as the shoe is held by the detent.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM T. 'DUNFORD.

WVitnesses G. C. FIEGEL, E. P. HOPKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G. 

